Sept. 6, 1927 - Dec. 27, 2007
BIRD ISLAND -- Richard Hammer, 80, of Bird Island died Thursday at his home.
The service will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Bird Island. Burial will be in the Bird Island City Cemetery with military rites by the Bird Island American Legion.
Visitation is from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Dirks-Blem Funeral Home in Bird Island and for one hour prior to the service Monday at the church. Memorials are preferred.
He was born on Sept. 6, 1927, in Leeds, N.D., to Olaf and Sophie (Lillevig) Hammer. They lived in St. James and Hector. In 1938, they bought a farm north of Bird Island. He attended town and country schools in the area. He joined the army in 1946 and was part of the Army of Occupation sent to Korea for a year and a day.
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He married Lorraine Peterson on April 18, 1951. He milked cows for a number of years and farmed with his brother. He bought a farm in 1950, from his army savings. He retired from farming in 1985. He did carpentry, worked at the fertilizer plant and was a substitute mail carrier. After his retirement he worked at VGB Cards and did field work for friends.
He served on the Bird Island Creamery Board, Our Savior's Lutheran Church Council and was a member of the building committee for the church and fellowship hall. He served on the Melville Township Board.
He is survived by his wife; daughter: Renae (and Rob Saunders) of Bird Island; son: Steven (and Liz) Hammer of Big Lake; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren; and brothers: James of Illinois, Neil (and Marilyn) of Buffalo, and Lloyd (and Josephine) of Battle, England.
He was preceded in death by a brother and a sister.
